Ottawa Senators General Manager Very Confident in Lineup
Pierre Dorion took over as general manager for the Ottawa Senators in April, and he has already put his stamp on the team.
He insists that moves were made this offseason with a desire to win now, but general managers are always eager to use terms like that.
It’s easy to be compelled make moves to win now, because a general manager may not be around by the time his team finally gets good again.
With how much money these executives make, results are demanded pretty quickly, or else it seems like that hefty salary is being wasted on ineptitude.
While his moves seem short term motivated, they don’t seem panicky, although a case could be made that he gave up on Mika Zibanejad too quickly.
However, Zibanejad was due a large pay raise next offseason, and the team was able to get a good player like Brassard for him for a lower price than Zibanejad would have cost.
Zibanejad may end up being a star in New York, but economic realities combined with the leadership and talent of Brassard makes that trade justifiable.
Dorion sees a lot of talent on this roster already, and adding Brassard to the mix was a chance to immediately boost that aptitude.
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“There’s no doubt in my mind that this is a playoff team,” said Dorion. “You look at the personnel, the coaching and an improvement of the 20 guys we’re going to put on the ice from where we finished last year to where we are now and I really feel like this is a playoff team.”
I agree with his assessment. The top 6 forward group is really formidable. There’s numerous players on the roster who can easily register 20 goals.
The blue-liners are also an intriguing bunch. Erik Karlsson is the best offensive defenseman in hockey.
Dion Phaneuf will be able to play in his first full season in Ottawa, and bring his physicality and offensive prowess.
Marc Methot isn’t flashy, but provides a stable presence as a stay at home defenseman partnered alongside Karlsson.
Add a talented young defenseman like Cody Ceci to that mix once his contract situation gets resolved, and that top 4 is strong.
The question marks are the goaltending situation. Craig Anderson is capable of greatness, but often goes into prolonged slumps.
Andrew Hammond looked absolutely terrific his rookie season, but declined in his second season in the league. Injuries plagued him for long stretches last season, but it’s still unclear what level he’s going to end up plateauing at.
New head coach Guy Boucher has some fascinating pieces to work with, and clearly Dorion is pleased with how the lineup looks as of now.
Next: Ottawa Senators Hint at Adding Another Defenseman
This team is filled with talent, and if Boucher is able to get the most out of his players and the goaltending is above average, this team should be able to avoid missing the playoffs two years in a row.